I Used to Think That Working Long Hours Was the Key to Success. Here's What I Learned Instead.

Those days, I used to believe that the key to success was putting in as many hours as possible at the office. I thought that the more I worked, the more I would achieve, and the more I would be recognized and rewarded for my hard work. I was willing to sacrifice my personal life, my health, and my relationships in the pursuit of this goal.

But as it turns out, I was wrong.

The allure of the grind

Our society often glorifies the idea of the "grind" - the relentless hustle and sacrifice that is supposedly necessary for success. We see it in the stories of successful entrepreneurs who claim to have worked 18-hour days for years on end, or in the way that people brag about how little sleep they get or how much they have on their plate. We are told that the harder we work, the more we will achieve, and that anything less than 110% effort is not good enough.

I bought into this mentality, and I tried to live up to it. I worked late nights, early mornings, and weekends. I took on more and more responsibilities, and I tried to be the first one in and the last one out. I thought that this was the only way to get ahead and make a name for myself.

The downside of the grind

But as it turned out, all that extra work was not making me more productive or successful. In fact, it was having the opposite effect. I was exhausted, stressed out, and burnt out. I was making mistakes, missing deadlines, and losing motivation. I was sacrificing my health, my relationships, and my happiness in the pursuit of an impossible goal.

And I was not alone. Research has shown that working long hours can have a number of negative consequences, including increased risk of heart disease, mental health problems, and burnout. It can also lead to lower productivity, lower quality of work, and higher turnover rates. In other words, working long hours is not a sustainable or effective way to achieve success.

The importance of balance and sustainability

So what did I learn? I learned that the key to success is not about working harder, but about working smarter and more sustainably. I learned that I need to find a balance between my work and my other commitments and priorities. I learned that I need to take care of myself and my well-being in order to be at my best.

I also learned that success is not just about what I accomplish at work, but about how I live my life as a whole. It is about finding meaning and purpose in what I do, and about being fulfilled and happy in my personal and professional relationships.

So I made some changes. I set boundaries around my work time and my personal time. I made sure to get enough sleep, exercise, and relaxation. I focused on my priorities and my values, and I let go of the things that were not important or fulfilling. Now I wake up early like 4 am to make sure I have my personal time, and go for my walk or exercise, I suggest you try that as early part of the day normally don't get disturbed by normal events.

I also have found some tools and techniques to organize myself. My remote working setup helps me to communicate well, organize and optimize time as well. This includes my desktop with proper lighting and a camera as well as good microphone. Also our company has deployed tools such as Microsoft Teams, Enadoc and Evia Sign reducing my need to be physically be anywhere to respond to day to day stuff. But still I love to meet our teams and have one on chat or social discussion to reduce my monotonous work.

And as a result, I am now more productive, more motivated, and more successful. I am able to achieve more in less time, and I am able to enjoy my work and my life more.

Conclusion

If you are someone who is caught up in the grind mentality, I encourage you to stop and think about whether it is really worth it. Are you sacrificing your health, your relationships, and your happiness in the pursuit of an unrealistic goal? Are you working harder, or are you working smarter?